This blog shares the discoveries I make while on the journey to find my family genealogy. I am researching the following surnames on my father's side Blades, Davis, Fernald, Mullins, Nichols, Nickersons, and Ross from Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
From my mother's side Belcher, Brammer, Hall, Handy, Justice, Midkiff, Nelson all are from mostly Patrick County, Virginia and some from North Carolina.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Getting along swell and feel pretty happy from the news I heard today from one of the radiomen. He said that two of the ships in our division are in Newport, R.I. and are waiting for duty in the Atlantic Fleet. Our ship is the flag ship and leader of the 21st Division and we carry aboard a Division Commander and he is the head of the 5 ships in the division and the 2 ships that are in Newport came up from Puerto Rica. We report for duty tomorrow. We made our final speed run today and I hope nothing went wrong or we will stay here until they fix it. All we have been doing is going on speed runs and coming back in and rip the engines apart. I weighed my self today and I weigh 139 lbs. and have grown a couple of inches. My face has filled in quite a bit and I feel swell. I met a fellow who comes from Manchester, NH and he lives on Kelly Street and I was telling him how often I went up there and different places I knew. Tell Grammie Davis that he was telling me that at the food of Rock Rimmen they have built a swimming pool and a big park. We had quite a time talking over different places. I am sending some of the match packages we have on the ship. Every ship has their own match covers. I received a letter from Grammie Blades and Edna May Saturday and almost keeled over when Edna May was married. Boy, I thought it was bad getting married down here at 14 or 15 yrs. but she takes the cake, and to an Army man at that. How did you like the write ups we got in Georgia? I laid on deck for a couple of hours yesterday and got quite a tan. It feels good to be in the warm weather. All the girls down here think of is getting married and I’ll hold the fort for a long time before I think of it. Will write again soon and hoping that dope about Newport is good. I give my regards all the folks.

Lots of Love “Bill”

P.S. The Wasp and the Tuscaloosa are in Norfolk. Boy it would be nice to see Rose and Frank.

March 21, 1941
Norfolk, VA

Dear Mom and Dad:

Received your letter and was glad to hear from you. Just before we shoved out of Charleston, yesterday at 4:00 p.m. a new destroyer pulled in and it had all the fellows I went through training with aboard so I missed them. When we left Charleston we didn’t know where we were going and this afternoon we landed in Norfolk, VA at 3:00 p.m. Just as we pulled in the President’s ship Tuscaloosa shoved off. The Wasp is in and four destroyers and a cargo ship. As soon as we landed I went over to get a hold of Roy Frank but they wouldn’t even let sailors of other ships aboard so I have to get in contact with him tomorrow some way. We had all the lights on the ship out while we were under way all night except our running lights. As soon as you open a hatch the lights would go out. Those are orders all the time we in the fleet and we are in the fleet and go through special orders for a couple of months. There is a notice up on the bulletin board to be ready to leave at a minutes notice so I don’t know how long we will be here. There is still talk that we might go to Newport, R.I. and I hope it’s true. I have enclosed some pictures, of The Plunket, a ship that is in our division and ours is an exact duplicate. That S.M.R.L.H. means “Sailors Mail Rush Like H---“. Well there isn’t much more to talk about so will sign off giving my regards to you all.

Your Loving Son “Bill”

P.S. I worked in the laundry one night so a fellow could go ashore, so I will have about $20.00 coming next pay day.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Mrs. Nannie Handy died Saturday night (July 19, 1929) after a long spell of illness and was buried at the graveyard at Mt. View. Her funeral was conducted by Mr. Mat Conner and Mr. Sol Hylton. Published in The Enterprise newspaper on July 25, 1929.

Her name was Nancy Lannie Howell, but everyone called her "Nannie". She was the daughter of Everet E Howell and Texas Judith Conner and born October 20, 1894 in Patrick County. She was the first wife of Euell B Handy and they lived on a farm in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. Together they had three children. Their first was Luther Wayne Handy, he was born on Jan 1913 and died in April 1913. Ruby Handy, their second child was born in 1917 and still lives today in Patrick County, Virgina. Their third child, Stafford B Handy born on April 25, 1920 and died on December 10, 2004.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

JW Stanley Blades was born 30 Jun 1900 in Jamica Plains near Boston, Massachusetts. He died 27 Jul 1968 in Goffstown, New Hampshire His wife, Nettie Mae Davis) Blades was born 30 May 1900 in Rochester, New Hampshire and . She died 15 Jan 1967. They are buried side by side at Getesemane Cemetery in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Had a fine time in Brunswick. It was the first time that a big ship had ever been in Brunswick. The people were lined up on the dock from one end to the other. We landed there Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday nights different clubs threw a big party and boy what a time. They had us plastered all over the front page of the newspapers for four days. We didn’t have to spend money for eats or drinks. The people would do all the shouting. Boy! I’ve seen the shock of my life when a little kid 5 years old boy came up to me and started to talk and he had a swollen jaw and I wondered what it was. He had enough tobacco that would choke a horse and spitting away to beat the band. The people never seen a ship as big as this and they thought it was the biggest ship in the world. We even got into the movies and rode taxis at half price. The people even came down in the cars to take us to church. We left Brunswick Monday morning and got in Charleston last night. We are going to Norfolk, VA. March 12, and take on stoves, from there I don’t know where we go. I am going to try and get leave in Norfolk if we stay there any length of time. I will send some pictures and you send some pictures of Judy and the kids if you have any. Give my regards to all the folks.

Lots of Love “Bill”

Charleston, SC

U.S.S. Livermore (429)

N.Y.C. N.Y.

March 15, 1941

Dear Mom and Dad:

Getting along swell. I am sending some newspaper clippings that I forgot to send from Brunswick, Georgia. There is word going around that we might be in Provincetown, ass next Friday and then proceed to Boston. How true it is I don’t know but every on is talking about it. We are leaving here Tuesday morning and we might go to Boston or we might come back here. We get paid today and I drew out $5.00 and left $5.00 on the books. April 15, I will be getting $36.00 a month because I will be 2C Seaman the 29th of this month.

Tomorrow I am setting up a mess for 18 men for breakfast dinner and supper for a fellow who has week-end liberty and I get $2.00 instead of going ashore and spending my pay. They have mess boys who set up the tables and they get $5.00 extra a month besides their tips. All we do is sit down at chow time and eat instead, like back at the training station when we had trays. We were going to Norfolk, VA to take on stoves but we took them on here. Show the clippings to the folks. I will write again soon unless I come home unexpectedly. Give my regards to the folks.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

On Sundya, May 15, 1955, my grandfather, D. Lee Handy, passed away at a local hospital near his home in Roanoke, Virginia. Originally from Meadows of Dan, Virginia, D. Lee and his wife, Callie moved to Roanoke about 1950.

Funeral services were held a few days later at Oakey's. Interment followed at Evergreen Burial Park in Roanoke, Virginia.